Animal trap



April 1940- H. R. GRAYBILL 2,196,862

I ANIMAL -TRAP Filed March 15, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY April 9- I R. GRAYBILL 2. 6

ANIMAL TRAP- v Filed March I5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY i" '7 2,19s.stz

Hershey Roy Graybill, .Manheim, ,,Pa.,'; assignor to Animal Trap Company of America, Lititz,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania g j H Application March 15, 1939, Serial No. 261,862

15 Claim's. 40 1. 43-91) My invention consists in the novel features Fig. 2" is aside elevation of the same, theposihereinafter described, reference being had' to the tions" of the parts in relea'sed position being accompanying drawings, which illustrate two indicated in dottedlines. N v v I embodiments of the same, selected by 'me. for Fig. 3 is a front end view of the trap in set 5' purposes of illustration, and the said invention position, the released position of the jaws being is fully disclosed in the following description and indicated in dotted lines. claims. Fig.4 is a transverse sectional view of the trap The object of my invention is to provide a showing theengagement of the tripping plate cheap and efiective animal trap intended parwith a trigger on the sp ticularly as a gophertrap, which can be quickly Fig. .5 is a detailed sectional View on the line-1o 7 and easily set by one hand, and without danger 5-5 'ofFig. 4. i 1 w to the operator. Traps ofthis character are in- Figifiis a plan view similar to Fig. 1, showing tended to be placed in the runways of the animal, a slight modification of my invention. a V 1 l and are provided with a pair of oppositely dis-. Fig. 7 .is a side elevation of the trap shown I posed, transversely movable, pivoted impaling n F g.6. 11s jaws, between which the animal passes and en- Fig. 8: is a front end view of the trap shown counters a vertically disposed tripping 'plate in F gs fi and 7. f v I i which extends transversely of the runway and Fig- 1s a transverse sect n l ViBWYOf e d' is tripped by the animal or by freshly excavated trap. 1 r zo-soil which the animal pushes ahead of him. Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional viewon the The tripping plate must therefore be located line Ill -lo of Fig-9. v a at such a distance from the jaws so that when the Referring to the embodiment -of my invention trap is tripped, the jaws will of necessity strike illustrated .in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, i represents a suitable base, which is preferably formed of the body'of the animal.

'25. In carrying out my invention, I provide the metal, and provided with an enlarged aperture g5 trap with a pair of longitudinally extending 2 in its forward portion. The base may be made shafts, each carryingat its forward end one of Of Sheet metal s wn n t w s. ut the impaling jaws, and at its rear end a setting obviously it could be made of metal strip maarm in combination with a flat spring "having tel'ial, Cast metal. f desired.

I portions for' engaging the setting arms for mov- At the forwardend of thebase, I provide a pair 30 ing both 'jaws simultaneously intosetting posi- 0 Oppos impaling Il -W8, indicated at +3reach tion, when the spring is moved in one direction, of wh i provided With an angular p l and for forcing the jaws into engagement with p tfl indicated 1 Eafih of said l the animal, when the spring is released,'and a is operatively connected with alongitudinal pivot 5'. pivoted tripping plate for locking the jaws, and Shaft located'adjacent to one side of the base, 5 the spring in set position. i and extending longitudinally thereof, l and piv- In the preferred formsin which I-have conotallymounted with respect to the base, in any templated embodying my invention, the spring desired way, each of said shafts being provided is provided with a finger piece projecting at its rear end with a setting arm- 5. I find it through an aperture in the tripping plate, to convenient to form each of the shafts 4,integra1- 40 the rear side thereof, to facilitate the setting ]y ith one of said jawsl 3, and its setting arm 5, 0f the trap W Q hand by 3 Pressing as shown, using stout wire or rod stock for the. the finger piece with the th b, a j l f purpose. Each of the. jaws 3 is adapted to be i t meeiposltlPn y l m the 1 swung from the released, position, indicated in 451mg Plate m dlrfctmn'mward' the laws, L dotted lines in Fig.3, in a direction towardthe toward the forward end of the trap, a movement osite side the ba i t t v of the plate in the opposite direction by the 9 0 i "P animal serving to release the trap and secure FF m l 'lmgs m whlch 9031' the animal. In order tolock theljaws in set 150- non tfhe'1mpa1{ng pomts W111 extend Simon, e tripping plate may be made'to engage stantially vertically, so that on the release -;of 50 with a setting-arm, or'arms, or with" the spring, the trap these l Will rise OW h other as preferred'and a's'hereinafter described. and embrace the body th animal between Referring to the accompanying drawings: them. Each of the jaws is slightly off-set, as Fig. 1 isa plan view of one embodiment of my. indicated at 30, so thatyin the releasedposition, invention showin'gthe trapinset p0sition.* i the jaw w interlock, a ndicated in "dotte i the movement of the jaws.

8 represents a fiat spring for actuating the jaws, which is secured to the base at its forward end, conveniently by providing the spring with a projection 6a, extending through an aperture in the forward end of the base. The rear or movable portion of the spring engages the setting arms in such manner that as the spring isdepressed, it will depress the setting arms and jaws which are permitted toassume horizontal positions, the spring being locked in set position, as hereinafter described, and the construction being such that when the spring is released, it will act upon the setting arms 5, raising them and causing the jaws to come together into the positions illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

I prefer to connect the spring 5, with the setting arms 5, 5, in such manner that the setting arms and jaws will be positively actuated in both directions, that is to say, in setting the trap as well venient to form these apertures in laterally extending portions or wings, 60, adjacent to the rear end of the spring, which are bent upwardly so as to accommodate the various inclined .positions of the setting arms in passing from the released position to the horizontal set "position,

and Vice versa.

In order to set the trap, it is necessarylto provide means for locking the spring 6 in set or depressed position. This canbe accomplished in a number of ways. In Figs. 1 to 5.1 have shown a tripping plate indicated at i, which is pivotally supported at its lower end with respect to the base, as indicated at 'lafla. The tripping plate is provided with a central aperture lb, through i which a narrowed portion 6d of the spring extends, the rear end Bgof the spring, which is wider than said narrowed-portion, forming a thumb engaging portion bymeans of which the spring can be readily depressed to set the trap. The tilting movement of the. tripping plate on its pivotal connections la is limited by shoulders 61 and 6h respectively located at the forward and rear ends of the narrowed portion 60!. The spring in this instance is shown provided with a locking projection Ge, which is adaptedto extend into a recess 1c, opening laterally. from the central recess lb, as best seen in Fig- 4, and engages the upper edge id of said recess, which forms a locking shoulder. i

The base I, preferably has aportion .la. extending rearwardly of the tripping plate.

To set the trap, it is onlynecessary to depress the rear end of the spring 6 and secure it in set position. This, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, is very readily accomplished by placing the fingers of the right hand beneath the rear portion to, of the base, with the thumb on the spring extension to? and depressing the spring until the locking projection 69 of the spring is brought into position below the shoulder 1d of the tripping plate, when by inclining the trap to the left, the plate will spring over and bring the shoulder 101 into engagement with the projection (is of the spring.

The trap is then ready to be placed in the runway frequented by the animal, longitudinally of the runway, in such position that as the animal lines in Figs. 2, 3, thus forming a stop to limit stantially vertical position by its engagement with the spring, the head of the animal, or portions of soil pushed forward by the animal, will In viewof the fact thatthe.

sirable'to have the main body of the base provided with a large central aperture, as indicated at 2, for example, beneath the spring, so as to prevent the accumulation of dirt and so forth,

' beneath the spring, which would interfere with the proper setting of the trap.

In Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, in which the parts -corresponding with those previously described are given the same reference characters with the addition of 100, I have shown a slightly modified form oflocking means for securing the spring and jaws in set position. In this instance, I have shown one of the setting arms I05 providedwith an extension, indicated at 105a, terminating in a rearwardly extending locking projection. 1051), which is adapted to engage an aperture line in the tripping plate 181, thefupper edge lid of which constitutes a locking shoulder. Otherwise, the trap is constructed in the same manner as previously described. The operation as to setting and releasing the trap is substantially the same as previously described, except that in setting the trap the thumb piece lead, is depressed until the locking projection W513 on one of the setting arms, comes into alignment with the aperture lfi'lc, in the plate H11, when the trapis tilted, so as to permit the projection I051; toenter the aperture Nile, and engage the locking shoulder Mild. Obviously, the rearwardv movement of the tripping plate It], by the forward progress of the animal will release the trap and permit the spring to rise and actuate the jaws I03, in the manner previously described.

It will be noted that in both forms of my improved trap, the opening of the spring actuated jaws, and setting the locking means therefor, is accomplished by one hand without touching the jaws or placing the operators hand in a position where it could becaught or injured by the accidental release of the jaws. that when an animal is caught in the trap, the jaws can be opened by one hand, leaving the other free to remove the animal. i

It will also be noted that in the form of trap shown in Figs. 6 to 9, in which the spring is held in set position indirectly, by the engagement of the tripping plate with one of the setting arms whichin turn engages the spring at a point adjacent to the pivot shaft of the setting arm, this construction providing a long leverage on the part of the setting arm for. holding the spring depressed, and the upward pressure of the setting arm on the tripping plate in set position is materially less than where the spring directly engaged the tripping plate as in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5. It follows therefore that the form of trap shown in Figs. 6 to 9 provides avery sensitive 1 release .asobviously there is much less frictional resistance between the locking parts, to be overcome than in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

What I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is}. I v 1. In an animal trap the combination with a It will also be seen base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally-mounted thereon, each provided with a setting 'arm at-a' distance from said jaws, a spring having a vertically movable part'for engaging said settingarms i. to close said jaws upon'the animal, and -a-tri'p ping plate-pivotally connected with thebase-and provided with locking means f or holdingsaidver tically movable part, and said setting arm'sand jaws in set position. I

2. In an animal-trap, the combination'of a base,

a pair of opposed jaws' pivotally mounted thereon,each provided with a'setting arm at-a distance,

from said jaws, a fiat spring secured to saidbase and having a vertically movable-part engaging said setting arms, and a vertically-disposedtripping plate pivotally connected with said base and provided with locking means for holding said 'movable part of the spring and said-setting arms and.

jaws in set position. I

3. In an animaltr'ap; the combination of a base, a pair of opposed, transversely movable jaws, each provided with a longitudinal pivot shaft having a setting arm at a distance from the connected jaw,

a fiat spring secured to said base adjacent to said jaws, and having a vertically movable portion extending beneath said setting arms, in the set position of the trap, and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected adjacent to its lower end to said base, and provided with locking means for holding said setting arms and jaws and the vertically movable portion of the spring in set position.

4. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed, transversely movable jaws, each provided with a longitudinal pivot shaft having a I setting arm at a distance from the connected jaw, a flat spring secured to said base and having a vertically movable portion extending beneath said setting arms in the set position of the trap and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected with said base and provided with a vertically disposed aperture, and with locking means 1 for holding said spring and setting arms and jaws in set position, said spring having a portion projecting through said aperture in said plate and forming a thumb engaging portion for depressingv the spring into set position.

5. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed, transversely movable jaws,

each provided with a longitudinal pivot shaft.

having a setting arm at a distance from the connected jaw, a fiat spring secured to said base.

and having a vertically movable portion engaging said setting arms, and a tripping plate pivotally connected with the base and having a locking shoulder for engaging a part connected with said spring for holding it in set position, said tripping plate having an aperture therein, and said spring having a portion extending through said aperture and projecting in rear of said plate to form a thumb piece for depressing the spring into set position.

7. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed, transversely movable jaws, each provided with a longitudinal pivot shaft having a settin'garm at'a distance from the connectedjaw, a flat spring secured to saidbase and having a vertically movable portion engaging said settingarms; and a vertically disposed tripping plate=pivotallyconnected at itsilower end to the base, and having locking means for-"holding said spring and setting arms in'set position, said spring havingportions for engaging'the plate, in the released position of -the trap for limiting its move ment on its pivotal connection withthe base in both directions. 1

i .8;In an-animaltrap the combination of a base, a pair-of opposed, transversely movable jaws, each" providedwith a longitudinal-pivot shaft haveing a setting arm at a distance from the connected jaw, a flat spring secured tosaid base andhaving a vertically movable portion engaging said setting arms, and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected at its lower end to'the'base, andhaving locking means for holding said spring and setting arms in set position, said plate having an aperture therein, and said spring having a portion projecting through said aperture to form a thumb piece for depressing the spring into set position and adapted to engage said plate in the released position of the trap to limit the rearward movement of the pan said spring having portions forward of the plate for engaging theplate to limit its forward movement.

9. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a setting arm for each jaw located at a distance therefrom, a flat spring having one end secured to the base, and provided adjacent to theother end with apertures for loosely engaging said setting arms, and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected withsaid base, andprovided with means for locking said spring, setting arms and jaws in set position.

10. In an animal trap the combination of a base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a setting arm for each jaw located at a distance therefrom, a flat spring having one end secured to the base, provided adjacent to the other end with apertures for loosely engaging said setting arms, and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected with said base, and provided with locking means for engaging said spring.

11. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a settingarm for each jaw located at a distance therefrom, a flat spring having one end secured to the base, and provided adjacent to the other end with a verticallymovable portion extending beneath said setting arms, and a transversely disposed tripping plate pivoted to said base and having a portion to engageoneof said setting arms to lock the trap in set position.

12. In an animal trap, the combination ofv a base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally'mounted thereon, a setting arm for each jaw located at a distance therefrom, a flat spring having one end secured to the base, and provided adjacent to theother end with a vertically movable portion extending beneath saidsetting arms, and a lock the trap in set position.

13. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a setting arm for each jaw located at a distance therefrom, a fiat springhavin'g one end transversely disposed tripping plate pivoted to said base and having an aperture to engage a projecting portion of one of said setting arms to secured to the base, andprovided adjacent :to the other'end with a vertically movable portion extending beneath said setting arms, and a transversely disposed tripping plate pivoted to said base and having locking portions for holding said spring and settingarms in set position.

, 14. In an animal trap, the combination of a base, a pair of opposed, transversely movable jaws, each provided with a longitudinal pivot shaft having a setting arm at a distance from the connected jaw, a flat spring secured to said base and having a vertically movable portion extending beneath said setting arms in theset position of the trap, and a vertically disposed tripping plate pivotally connected with said base and provided with an aperture, and with locking means for holding said spring and setting arms and jaws in set position, said spring having a portion projecting through said aperture in said plate, and forming a thumb engaging portion for other end with laterally extending upwardly bent portions having apertures therein for loosely engaging :said setting arms to operate said jaws and accommodate changes of position of the setting. arms, ,and a tripping plate pivotally secured to said base, and provided with locking means for holding .said spring, setting arms and jaws in-s'etposition. I

HERSHEY ROY GRAYBILL. 

